Guyots

Guyots – Guyots (pronounced “Ghe Oh’s”) are “an isolated (or group of) seamount (s) having a comparatively smooth flat top. Also called tablemount(s)” (IHO, 2008). Harris et al. (2014) mapped 283 guyots covering a total area of 707,600 km2. Guyots have an average area of 2,500 km2, more than twice the average area of seamounts. Nearly 50% of guyot area and 42% of the number of guyots occur in the North Pacific Ocean, covering 342,070 km2 (see Table). The largest three guyots are all in the North Pacific: the Kuko Guyot (estimated 24,600 km2), Suiko Guyot (estimated 20,220 km2) and the Pallada Guyot (estimated 13,680 km2).

Bathymetric false-colour image of the Gifford Guyot, located in the Tasman Sea east of Australia (after Geoscience Australia: http://www.ga.gov.au/ausgeonews/ausgeonews200803/survey.jsp